


A Worthy Trade

by LiraelClayr007



Series: My 2018 - 31 Days of Ficmas! [3]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alien Planet, Christmas Shopping, F/M, Pete's World, travels in the TARDIS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 07:53:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16828345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiraelClayr007/pseuds/LiraelClayr007
Summary: Tony decides that, being all of seven, he's old enough for an adventure, so Rose and the Doctor take him Christmas shopping on an alien planet.





	A Worthy Trade

“Are you sure you cleared this with your mum?”

Tony is bouncing on the balls of his feet, looking like he’s going to actually jump aboard the TARDIS, no matter if the Doctor is in his way or not, but the Doctor just looks apprehensive.

“Because honestly, Rose, I don’t think I could handle being strangled by Jackie. I can’t regenerate anymore, you know. She could actually kill me.”

Rose’s laugh is light and infectious, and the Doctor can’t help but grin.

“Please, Doctor!” cries Tony. “Mum really did say it’s okay! Rosie said you’d take me someplace special to buy my Christmas presents this year. I’m seven whole years old now, that’s old enough to go on a real adventure!”

“Well, when you put it that way,” the Doctor says, stepping aside and making a grand gesture. Tony squeals and dashes through the doors and onto the TARDIS, exclaiming over every little thing. 

“Rosie!” they hear him shout from inside. “There’s an elf hat here that’s just my size! Did the TARDIS make that for me? Wow!! It’s perfect! Can you tell her thank you for me?”

“Tell her yourself!” Rose yells. Then she says, so only the Doctor can hear, “Can we keep the adventuring to a minimum? I promised Mum and Dad we’d go someplace safe.”

“At your service, m’lady,” the Doctor says with a silly bow.

Rose curtsies back. When she stands straight again she grabs the front of his shirt with both hands, pulls him close to her, and kisses him thoroughly.

“Mmm.” He smiles like he’s far away, maybe in another world. “Whatever m’lady wishes.”

She swats at him as he walks past and into the TARDIS. “Cheeky,” she mutters, but she’s smiling too.

“Right then!” he says to Tony. “Better have a seat, and hold on tight. Ready?”

Sitting on the jump seat, Tony’s feet don’t even reach the floor. He kicks expectantly.

The Doctor and Rose look at each other and grin. Together they say, “Allons-y!”

* * *

“Alright then,” says the Doctor as they step off the TARDIS. He waves his arm with a flourish and says, “Welcome to the bazaar of Baraxis 4! Not to be confused with the baths of Baraxis 2 or the banshee of Baraxis 7.” Rose rolls her eyes but takes his hand anyway. “Here’s how this place works. They don’t accept money here, none at all. It’s all about trade. But you can’t just trade any old thing away. It has to be something of personal value. I’ve taken the liberty of preparing a few things.” From his coat pocket, one of the ‘Time Lord technology bigger on the inside’ ones, he produces a small drawstring bag. He peeks inside, says, “Ah, this one’s for Tony,” and passes the bag to the boy. Another appears from the depths of the pocket, this one for Rose. 

“These are  _ my _ toys!” Tony says, a mix of surprise and awe in his voice. He looks again, then looks back at the Doctor, an odd look on his face. “My model airplane shouldn’t fit in here. This bag is bigger on the inside.”

Rose crouches down beside the boy and stage-whispers in his ear. “He likes to show off.” The Doctor pretends to look affronted. Tony giggles.

“And we’re off!” the Doctor says, and they are, effortlessly joining the flow of people slowly walking from one market stall to the next. They aren’t the only out-of-towners; clearly this bazaar attracts aliens from all over. Tony almost immediately comes face to face with a small orange skinned fellow with long pointy ears, almost like those of a rabbit or a fox. They smile at each other and Tony says, “I’ve never seen anyone like you before!” The alien replies, in a surprisingly low and gravelly voice, “You look funny too!” 

Tony looks at everything, eyes huge. Rose hasn’t been to this world before, but she’s been to several like it, so she’s watching Tony more than she’s actually shopping. The first thing to catch Tony’s eye is a booth of multi-colored perfume bottles, in all shapes and sizes. Before he can touch one, though, the Doctor steers him along toward the next booth, saying, “Look at these chocolates, Tony! I bet your mum would like these!” When Rose looks at him oddly he winks and mutters, “Those were love spells and aphrodisiacs. I don’t think your mum would appreciate me letting her seven year old son buy those…” Rose’s face fluxuates between horror and delight, and she ends up in a fit of giggles.

The chocolate maker, a tall, thin man with chocolate colored skin and chocolate colored hair, smiles at Tony and offers him a taste. After glancing at Rose and the Doctor to make sure it’s okay, he takes the offered nibble and pops it into his mouth. His eyes widen. “Good!” he says, a giant smile on his face. “I want some for Mum!”

“What have you to trade?” asks the chocolate maker, in the traditional phrasing of the bazaar.

Tony bites his lip, looking into his bag of toys. He knows this is serious. These are his things, things he plays with every day. What is he willing to give up?

He looks at Rose. “Rosie?” 

Rose shakes her head. “You’ve got to figure this out on your own, kiddo.”

He turns to the Doctor instead. “Doctor? I’m not sure.”

The Doctor crouches down next to the boy. “It’s not so important what you choose. What’s important is that you’re giving something up. Think of your mum. Look in your bag of toys, and think what you’d give up for her.”

Tony’s eyes go wide again. “Anything!”

The Doctor smiles. “See? It doesn’t matter.”

Tony reaches into the bag and pulls out a battered copy of  _ Goodnight Stars _ . “Mum read this to me every night when I was a kid.” Rose hides her smile with her hand at the “when I was a kid” bit. Solemnly he hands the book to the chocolate maker.

“A worthy trade,” the man says, taking the book with a bow. Tony awkwardly bows back, then puts the newly acquired chocolate into his bag.

As they’re walking away, Rose whispers, “ _ Goodnight Stars _ ? Isn’t it  _ Goodnight  _ **_Moon_ ** ?”

“Not in this universe, apparently.”

“Weird.”

They spend hours at the bazaar. Rose trades a pair of sunglasses for a new pair of boots, and Tony trades his model airplane for a handmade sweater for Pete. The Doctor trades a copy of  _ Oliver Twist _ for their lunch. When Tony finds a painting of a boy and a girl running lightly across the surface of the sea he says he needs that for Jackie too; he trades his toy bow and arrows for that one. Rose and the Doctor look at one another in surprise--they both know that’s always been one of his favorite toys. But he insists, so they don’t argue.

The sun is beginning to set when they finally head back to the TARDIS. Tony is beaming, thrilled with his new purchases. “I can’t wait for Christmas! Mum and Dad are going to love their presents!”

“I’m sure they will, lad,” the Doctor says, ruffling Tony’s hair.

Tony smiles up at him. “Thanks for the trip, Doctor. And you too, Rosie,” he adds, not wanting to forget his sister.

Rose kisses the top of his head as they step onto their time ship. “Anytime, little brother.”

Tony, worn out from the busy day, curls up on the jump seat. The Doctor and Rose take advantage of the quiet moment for a quick hug. “This was a great day, Doctor. Perfect, really.”

“Anything m’lady wishes,” the Doctor says, capturing her lips for a kiss.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> 31 Days of Ficmas || day 3 - shopping
> 
> I also posted this on [my tumblr](https://ialwayscomewhenyoucall.tumblr.com)!


End file.
